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Floating Vertical Farms Could Deliver and Monitor Food Production in Dense Cities

Known for its density with nearly 20,000 people per square mile, Singapore is changing its food systems strategy to produce more food locally, and reduce food waste.

To feed its 5.31 million residents, Singapore imports almost all of its food from countries both near and far. With a land mass of only 276 square miles, Singapore is jam packed with civilization and cannot afford the space necessary for vast swathes of agricultural land. According to Fast Co.Exist, architects from the Barcelona-based design firm JAPA have proposed a "new system of looping towers that could float in local harbors, providing new space for year-round crops." The design, called "floating responsive architecture," is inspired by the floating fish farms that were used in Singapore since the 1930's. The towers, with their looped unusual shape, maximize sunlight while reducing significant shadowing.

In addition to their unique shape, the towers are also equipped with a network of sensors to create an enormous data management system. These sensors will communicate directly with networks within the city to monitor food purchases, and simultaneously adjust food production in an effort to achieve zero food waste.

While still just a concept, JAPA would like to further investigate capacity and energy usage. The next steps include prototyping the towers and assessing potential applications for China's densely populated coastline cities.